It was not immediately obvious that the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow had been elevated into a Mecca for whisky collectors. Still less obvious because as I entered its large conference room on Sunday (25 February), the first thing I noticed about the Whisky Show: Old & Rare festival, was its unusual noise – or lack thereof.
Voices never went beyond a low hum of constant murmuring and quiet conversation. You didn’t need to fight to make yourself heard despite the crowd. In fact, the two-day Old & Rare didn’t really suffer from crowds as such. The space easily handled the 300 ticket holders each day, evenly spread among masterclasses, exhibitor stands, and a multitude of tables and couches where many sat with friends or on their own, their expressions reflecting deep contemplation of the drams in their hands…